[Inside Chodong] The Tragedy of Children Without Resident Registration Numbers

Two infants born 4 to 5 years ago were found deceased in a household refrigerator. The babies, who had not received proper care for about two months after birth, ultimately died from malnutrition. A mother in her 20s, who had an unwanted pregnancy, reportedly handed over her newborn to a stranger she met online. A biological mother who abandoned a disabled baby in a nearby mountain was also caught. These incidents, uncovered during the government's investigation since late last month into “infants who have birth records but whose births were not registered,” have increased to about 200 cases under investigation within just two weeks, with 15 deaths already confirmed. The government’s announcement to investigate all 2,000 unregistered newborns raises fears and despair that the number might continue to rise.

Startled by the situation, the National Assembly and government hastily passed the “Birth Notification System (Family Relations Registration Act Amendment)” in the plenary session of the National Assembly. This system requires medical institutions to notify local governments of births to prevent the occurrence of “children without resident registration numbers” due to parents deliberately omitting birth registration. Although human rights organizations have demanded this for over a decade and the government agreed on its necessity, the bill, which was proposed two years ago, had been left unattended until now. Even so, its implementation will only begin a year later.

There have also been calls for supplementary measures to cover blind spots that the Birth Notification System cannot fully manage. Concerns have been raised that the system might increase “out-of-hospital births” by mothers who wish to avoid leaving birth records. Discussions are underway about introducing a “Protected Birth System” that would allow the government to register a child’s birth even if the mother hides her identity during childbirth. However, this proposal faces controversy, as it could encourage abandonment or deprive children of their right to know their parents in the future.

Regarding the approximately 4,000 unregistered foreign children excluded from the government’s full investigation, there is currently no way to verify whether their births have been registered in their home countries. Under current law, foreigners are not obligated to register births that occur in Korea, and there are no regulations or systems for their birth registration. There are also calls to strengthen penalties for “infanticide,” a crime whose sentencing has not been revised since the Penal Code was enacted, to raise social awareness. While murder under the Penal Code carries sentences ranging from a minimum of five years imprisonment to the death penalty, the maximum sentence for infanticide is only 10 years.

Even before the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s recent investigation, the Ministry of Education has been tracking the whereabouts of students who do not attend the preliminary enrollment day before entering elementary school since 2017 to ensure their safety. This is to prevent children from suffering abuse or neglect. Each year, one or two children go missing, usually because they have left the country with their parents, but occasionally cases of parental abandonment are revealed. The current investigation into unregistered births has confirmed that by mobilizing medical institutions, childcare centers, educational institutions, and government administrative networks, children who are not receiving protection can be identified more quickly.

In a country with an ultra-low total fertility rate of 0.78%, the fact that so many children are born each year but remain unrecorded and are abandoned or killed by their parents is a clear crime and a social and national loss. It is understandable to lament the meaning of pouring enormous budgets solely into low birthrate policies while neglecting children who have already been born. Every citizen must take an interest, and our society and government must devise more thorough and flawless measures to ensure that not a single child is missed and that all children are raised healthily.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.